rFactor 2 -- Developer Q&A
General Product Questions
How will rFactor be released? Online? Steam?
We have our own online distribution system in development.
What are the minimum specs?
We have not yet completed testing. A single core CPU above 3.0GHz with SSE2 would work, but a dual core 2.0GHz CPU would be better. 2GB RAM and either nVidia GeForce 8600 or ATI Radeon x1000 Series with 512MB video RAM will be required to take advantage of some features. rFactor 2 will not run on Windows 98, but will run on Microsoft Windows XP, XP 64bit, Vista and 7.
Will rFactor 2 support multiple CPUs/GPUs?
Yes to both.
Has force feedback been improved?
The force feedback is now much more correct. We are using a separate thread for physics and this has decreased latency. Right now we are working to refine feeling with the new tire model.
Does rFactor 2 support multiple controllers like rFactor did?
Yes.
Has triple screens support been improved?
Yes. We now also support nVidia 3D vision and virtual screen angles can be adjusted.
Does rFactor 2 support many of the oval specific rules and regulations difficult to simulate with rFactor?
There has been some improvement in this area.
What are the different series that are going to be included?
We have been working on assets for several different styles of racing that are in various states of readiness. Some of these may not make the initial release, but those that don't will be added post-release as we did with rF1. Of course, we'll also be enhancing the released series in the future with more cars and tracks; so there is plenty of content to come. The series that are nearest completion and should be ready in time are:
1960s historic racing (both open-wheel and hard-top)
1970s stock car racing
Renault Meganes and Clios
Modern endurance racing (multiple vehicle classes)
Open-wheel trainers
Formula Renault 3.5
Formula ISI
This list is not definitive--there's always the chance we could hold something if we feel it's under par. Likewise, we could end up finishing something we didn't expect.
Modding
Will rFactor 2 be modding friendly like rFactor? What has been done to improve modding? Open script?
Many improvements have been made to make mods easier to find and install. No open script.
Will there be documentation supplied with rFactor 2 or will we have to figure things out ourselves?
Support will be provided and some documents will be provided both with and after the initial release.
How difficult will it be to convert tracks from rFactor to rFactor 2 and be able to make use of the new features available? What about converting without the new features?
Possible, but it will not be as simple as dragging and dropping. Mod groups are going to want to put in some additional effort to take advantage of the new features available for their work.
Are mods going to be easier to install? Can they be packaged?
We are currently testing our new packaging system.
Multiplayer
Will there be an in-game lobby filter to make it easier to find races?
A filter is available but the final criteria is not yet set. You will see server information such as pings for sure.
Will rFactor 2 have a ranking system?
No.
Will racers be more accountable for their actions and can server admins manage them?
An online login system should allow more control.
Can I block someone driving with keyboard from joining my race?
No.
Why is the ability to host a race from within the software being taken out?
To ensure a consistently improved online experience.
Have the mismatch issues found in online games been worked on with rFactor 2?
Yes.
Will there be driver changes?
The fate of this is tied to rejoins (see below).
Can I rejoin a server after being disconnected?
We've done some work on this, but it may not be ready for deployment of the initial release.
Can we force tire/part changes in hosting rules like many real-world racing series?
Probably not, but it should eventually be possible to see this information in result exports.
What is the multiplayer client connection limit in a race?
The number of drivers that can join a server at any time depends on how many drivers each specific mod supports (up to 64 most likely). Of course other clients can join as spectators if the server allows them.
Can I voice chat with other racers?
There will be no in-game voice chat. We feel other free programs do this very well and with far more features than we would want to implement.
Can I share setups with individuals/everyone in the race?
Yes.
Are fixed/forced setups supported?
Yes.
Graphics
What post processing effects are planned with rFactor 2?
HDR, bloom, new shadows, ambient occlusion, heat distortion.
Sound
Has work been done to improve sound such as echoing in tunnels?
We are working on this right now. Both walls and tunnels.
Cars
Can we have glowing/reflective numbers for night racing?
No plans for this, but you can do this yourself.
Can cars now make proper wheel to wheel contact?
Yes. We have improved collision detection.
How exactly has the tire model been improved?
The tire model is new and one of the most important features of rFactor 2 which will interact with the new weather and road models. Real life drivers deal with many changes during an event as they can arrive at any turn and can find themselves with more or less grip than they felt on the previous lap. The tire, track, and weather model should allow users to experience many of these changes for the first time.
The tire is now considered to be a separate simulated body to the rim, and the contact patch has a huge increase in processing allowing different and constantly changing levels of heat and wear all around and across the tire. Tires will hold a history of what you've done to them and all these factors will give a constantly changing experience in terms of grip, handling, and even pit strategy.
Has damage been improved?
We've done some work on this but are not yet sure what will be in the initial release. A new feature which may make it would be that paintwork can be scratched/ripped by contact. Tire damage has also been implemented (see above).
When I change tires (or go onto the grass and make them dirty, etc) will the look of the tires change? Will there be visual tire wear?
There will be both physical and visual wear for tires. Dirt and grass pickup not yet decided.
Tracks
Will there be any laser scanned tracks in rFactor 2?
No.
Will there be pit crew animations?
We have a new animation system that allows for the addition of animated pit crews, and while it is our intention to add this it will probably not be included in the initial release. We will most likely ship with a minimalistic pit crew and then build on that until we have a fully functional crew for the many different types of cars we have.
Will tracks have scripted events like the crew jumping onto the pitwall for the finish, a firework show on the first lap or spectators leaping out of the way on a hillclimb or rally stage?
Again, scripted animation events are something we have in the pipeline, but most likely won't make the initial release. The plan is to have events that can trigger other events, and so on. Our animated pit crews will depend on these triggered events so we'll have to add them.
Can I set points where the green flag would be waved for start/restarts?
Currently, we have internal triggers that tell the starter when, and what type of flag, to wave. We will be expanding the flagmen functionality post-release, so we could probably add trigger-driven events to the system easily enough.
Weather
Will the weather change during a race? Will it affect grip and visual effects as it does?
Yes to both. Weather will affect both your visual and physical experience.
How will the weather effect the drivers view?
There will be fogging, a wet windshield, raindrops and wipers.
A.I.
Can the A.I. in rFactor 2 have personalities so that one driver is perhaps more aggressive than another?
Yes. AI can be setup individually and overall. In fact if you really wanted to, each driver can have a preferred line around a race track. You can make individual drivers better/worse in qualifying versus the race or even give someone a slow reaction speed at the start.
Will A.I. in a slower GT class let a faster car through?
Blue flag code has been improved. AI should move away from the racing line in appropriate situations.
Output
Will more information be in the files that keep track of laptimes, aids used, weather, etc?
We are currently setup to export XML files which contain some information, but we will be moving towards a JSON system which should allow extraction of information at a much greater depth.
Can more information be in the results, like tire compounds, number of pit stops, etc?
The JSON generated information will evolve (see above).
